Ski The World Festival Guide

Whether you've been on skis daily since November or just for the first time or 2, come on down to the festival, have some fun skiing, and try all sorts of activities on snow from around the world! You can race, you can tour - either way, let's have a blast! See the festival home page for the schedule of events, festival news, and and more. Event details:

Driving to Bristol Nordic Center: Follow South Hill Road to the nordic center at the top of Bristol Mountain (directions here) - do not drive to the downhill area at the base of the mountain, you can't get there from there. First-timers, be careful on the road which is usually snowy/icy, and has a sharp downhill zig-zag halfway up. You may drive down to the loop at the end of the access road to unload, but please park along the North side of the access road.

Check-in: Sign-in and pick-up of bibs and trail passes will be at the Bristol Nordic Center lodge on Saturday and Sunday. Sign up here for the Sunday relay - registered skiers, family and friends are all welcome to join in, but to be given a spot at the starting line must sign up (and sign a waiver). There will be a short meeting for parents and coaches outside by the RXCSF tent on Saturday at 9:30 for information updates and Q&A.

Food at the Festival: Snacks and drinks provided by RXCSF will be available in the lodge both days. Bring a lunch for Saturday - Bristol's summit lodge has a few drinks and snacks available but nothing particularly healthy or substantial. On Sunday all skiers and families are invited to join in the Ski Fest Feast (taco-in-a-bag, baked potatoes, dessert) in the lodge after the relay race, followed by awards.

Racing:Saturday races will be freestyle interval start (15 s), ranging from approx 1 km for U8 to 4 km for U14. U16 skiers are welcome to join, and will start with the U14 group but be scored separately. Course maps will be posted on this site and at the festival. Sunday races will be mass start classic, similar distances as Saturday. Starts will be by age group, with boys and girls starting together and start rows seeded by Saturday finish order.• Glidewax recommendations will be posted on this page and updated if needed as the forecast changes. We ask that all skiers refrain from using pure fluoro or HF wax (LF or hydrocarbon waxes are OK).• Bibs will be collected at the finish of each race - please do not leave the finish area before handing in your bib. • Racing each morning will end with the Lollipop races - graduating BKL skiers (13 year olds / 8th graders) are invited to lead these races, and all should come out and cheer for the youngest skiers.• All skiers are welcome at the RXCSF tent for help with kickwax on Sunday, or to brush glide wax (and structure, if you really want) on Saturday and Sunday.• Come to the RXCSF tent 30 minutes prior to your race if you'd like to find a group to warm up with. Coaches will help lead warm-ups when available, but parents are ultimately responsible for making sure that kids and equipment get to the start in time.

Around the World in 0.8 K's Tour de Ski: If you're not racing, the Tour is your chance to be a star - perfect for new skiers or those whose style is more chill, this is becoming our festival's signature event. This year's version will take you and your sidekicks around the trail "system" for a series of skiing adventures, activities from skiing countries around the world. TAll skiers who have raced are encouraged to join the Tour as tour guides - you'll be teamed up with a World Traveler and will help them to navigate the course and the challenges. Gather by the RXCSF tent after the lollipop race on Saturday (approx 11:30) to meet your teammates and hear about your mission. Skiers may choose classic or skate for the tour and afternoon games.

Saturday afternoon games and fun: scarf down some lunch and come back out to try out any and all! Head back out after lunch to pose as a skier from far-away lands at the photo booth, show off your skiing/dance moves to the music in the Figure Skiing free program, or show off your all-around Winter Games skills in pre-olympic-themed events including Nerf Biathlon, Cross-Country Curling, Ski Jumping, Nordic Cross, Olympic Ring Toss, and the Slapshot hockey shootout.

Saturday Banquet: A celebration to cap off Day 1, with dinner, awards, video slideshow, and a games. Doors open at 5:30 at the HFL Middle School cafeteria (619 Quaker Meeting House Rd, Honeoye Falls - park on the left (south) side of the building and enter via the side doors there). Italian food at 6:00 catered by Otto Tomotto, followed by awards, festival swag, and slideshow. Kids who are interested may also join in the Snowdance video production - choreographed by two of our own BKL skiers, we'll shoot this on stage at the banquet and again on snow on Sunday to compile into our video submission to the New England BKL Festival.

Sunday Team Sprint Relays: Put together a team of 4 and rev your engines for a festival last hurrah. Parents, siblings, friends and coaches are welcome to join. Sign up at Saturday check-in or at the banquet. Sprint matchmakers can help fill out your team if needed, and we will post teams and heat assignments on Sunday morning. Each team member will ski a 0.5 km (or shorter) lap. Technique is freestyle (your choice of skate or classic). Ski fast in your heat and you'll qualify for the final and a shot at Festival glory! But remember, the name of the game is fun - anyone caught not smiling will be disqualified.

Bring cowbells and noisemakers to cheer on all of the participants at the Festival, and if you've got skiing garb from other countries it's time to bust it out - we look forward to seeing you all and wish you safe travels!

Wax recommendations

We're here to help! All skiers are welcome to come to the RXCSF tent for help with kick waxing on Sunday, or to brush their glidewax on Saturday or Sunday. We won't be ironing glidewax at the race, but for how-to advice see our Waxing page. Wax recs are the best guess based on the current forecast, and will be updated if this changes.

Note - we ask that all skiers refrain from using HF or pure fluoro waxes, to keep the focus on the skier and not the ski prep.

Saturday - freestyle racingTemps are forecast to rise from around 30° overnight to about 36-38° at race time (high of 39°). Glidewax: Toko Yellow or Swix CH8 (new formulation that ranges up to 39°) or CH10.Sunday - classic racingTemps again 36-38° after staying above freezing overnight, mostly cloudy with a 20% chance of rain.Glidewax: Toko Yellow or Swixk CH8 (new formulation) or CH10.Kickwax: klister, almost for sure. Let us test it, and apply it - bring your skis to the RXCSF tent and we'll put it on for you!